Facial Injuries: Prevention

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Prevention

There are many steps you can take to help prevent a facial injury.

• Always use car safety seats and seat belts to prevent or reduce nose and facial injuries during a car accident. Place your child in an approved child car seat when traveling in a car. Follow the manufacturer's directions for securing the seat in the car. Children should ride in the back seat for safety.
• Do not use alcohol or other drugs before participating in sports or when operating a motor vehicle or other equipment.
• Wear a helmet and other protective clothing whenever you are biking, motorcycling, skating, skateboarding, kayaking, horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding, or rock climbing.
• Wear a mouth protector when you participate in contact sports.
• Wear a hard hat if you work in an industrial area.
• Wear safety glasses, goggles, or face shields when you work with power tools or when you do an activity that might cause an object to fly into your face.
• Do not dive into shallow or unfamiliar water.
• Prevent falls in your home by removing hazards that might cause a fall.
• Do not keep firearms in your home. If you must keep firearms, lock them up and store them unloaded and uncocked. Lock ammunition in a separate area.

You can take steps to help reduce your young child's risk of facial injury.

• Never leave your child unattended in a high place, such as on a tabletop; in a crib with the sides down; on elevated porches, decks, and landings; or even on a bed or sofa.
• Do not leave your child alone in any infant seat or sitting toy, such as a swing or jumper. Use all of the safety straps provided.
• Use stair gates to block stairways. Use gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, and use the gates properly.
• Do not use baby walkers. Baby walkers have caused many injuries and are not safe even if the baby is watched closely.
• Watch your child when he or she is outside. Uneven grass, sloping lawns, and hills may be difficult for your child to walk on.
• Make your home safe from falls by removing hazards that might cause a fall, such as throw rugs.
• Place your child in an approved child car seat when traveling in a car. Follow the manufacturer's directions for securing the seat in the car. Children should ride in the back seat for safety.
• Have your children wear helmets when necessary, such as when they are passengers on a bike or are riding a tricycle or bicycle on their own.

Last updated:	May 15, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer